Unlike the American Puritans who crossed the ocean in search of religious freedom, most Orthodox Christians in the west did not come to North America to practice their faith, or to share it with others: they came for the land, for the jobs, for the prosperity and freedoms that would allow them to build a home, open a restaurant, and enjoy weekends off from work. The idea of building a common culture with every neighbour, knit together by a common faith and language, common values and common hopes, was left behind, exchanged for the shared culture of the marketplace.

It is common to hear members of Orthodox parishes of the immigration express their sadness that their children and grandchildren have lost their culture, and their Faith. In fact, this is not entirely true. For many – indeed, for most – the goals of a better house, bigger property, a successful business, and more material wealth have been successfully passed from one generation to the next, virtually uninterrupted by the practice of the Orthodox Faith. The same purpose that was behind much of the immigration of our ancestors, wherever they came from, and whenever they came, has been with a few exceptions, successfully handed on to each generation.

The Stanford Anscombe Society presents our first annual conference
Communicating Values
MARRIAGE, FAMILY & THE MEDIA
April 5, 2014
8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
To be held at Oberndorf Event Center
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Business Attire

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Caught a few minutes of the new Cosmos... and you thought the popular science (and scientism) of the original couldn't be dumbed down more... These days a PBS production would use actors for historical re-enacments. Cartoons? Seth MacFarlane.